, 1887-07-20

is obtained from the mGssccgite-the conse-
qucnce of course being that their molasses
is OF exceptionally good quality. The distil.
lery is furnished with two continuous French
stills, and rum-making there produces such
good results that Mr.. Minchin is quite car
less as to the quantity OF he serd, to
his liquor loft. The scum and bottoms Of the
boxes are all remorselessly sent off to the
dlstlllery, so that no attempt ia made to use
hitter presses or to obtain the best possible
sugar results from the juice. The return in
rum is from 30 to 40 gallons per ton of sugar.
l am sorry that | had no means of getting
the molasses and juice properly analyzed.
AS 1t is am unable;to describe the constitu-
ton either of one or the other, or to state
the percentage of crystallizable sugar left in
the molasses. The motive power consists of
one twelve horsepower engine, with q cylin-
der of II inche diameter, and 3 feet stroke,
This drives the cutters, the two elevators
connected with the cane chips, and the grind
stone Then there Is a large beam engine of
twenty-five horse power (nominaD which
works the pans, the steam water pumps
and the centrifugals. There is also an
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES horizontal engine which
drives the pumps for the double effet, and
cn> water pump. In addition Of these there
is an horizontal engine with double-acting
pump which drives q single effect of the ordi-
nary Rellieux type, which, however, is scarce
ly ever used. The boilers are eight in mum.
ber,-two multitubul@r by Mirrlees, IA feet
long by 7 feet 6 in. in diameter two single
fue Adamson boilers, 80 feet by 6 feet 6 in.
two smaller single-fue boilers 90 feet bv s
fees. and two boilers made from old char
cisterns bolted together, one of which is "a
feet long by 5 feet in diameter, and the other
80 feet IN. in length and 5 feet in diameter.
Neither OF these two latter has any fues, the
fire simply playing round the outside. Imay
mention that the large 74-feet boiler is work.
ed up to So lbs. pressure and is used to
supply steam to the diffusion battery. Of
these eight boilers six are kept in use for all
purposes, and these six boilers with engines
of a nominal capacity of ffty-fve horses fur
msh the whole motive power for the Aska
works. The fuel used is wood of good quail
ty, fully equal to good courida as supplied in
this country. [ have estimated it as being
worth about one third Of its weight in coal.
Huge stacks of this wood are kept piled in
the various large yards enclosed by the facto-
ry, and its cost lat the furnace door was 8
rupees, 4 annas, per ton. Ta king three
%tons.Of woods as equal to one ton of coal, the
cost of the fuel is about 10 rupees, or G1 in
silver currency, or say 15s. in gold, per ton
of coal. Labour is, of course. very cheap.
q mans pay being about two annas, a wonan's
one anna and four pies, and @ child's one
anna. AS an anna is nominally worth lid. in
silver, these wages represent in gold only
about Gid. per day for q man, and less than
lid. for q child. The following is 9 list OF
the laborers employed inside the Aska works:
it being borne in mind that diffusion is neces-
sarily a continuous process, it will be under.
stood that the list includes two gangs, which
relieve each other every six hours, SO that
one half of the people mentioned in the SUBJ
joined table are resting while the other half
are at work.
LABouREBs IN AsKA WoRKs-FEBy. 1887.